Refillable binder



Aug. 18, l936.- N. OTTINGER REFILLABLE B'INDER Filed Dec. 14, 1935 INVENTOR, V47///4/V OHM 6L7? BY ATTORNEY. I

Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT ornca anmnsnu: mm cseaeca.::aanrw Application December 14, 1935, Serial No. 54,35!

2 Claims. (01. 129-4) This invention relates to binders for leaves or sheets of paper or the like, and has for its general object and purpose to provide a refillable binder of the type in which the binding element consists of a resilient wire in the form of a spiral spring adapted to be threaded through equidistantly spaced apertures adjacent one of the edges of the sheets or leaves.

In said binders, as heretofore known in the art, it was found that after the spiral spring element has been threaded through the apertures of the leaves or sheets, it is liable to accidental disconnection therefrom, or the wire binding element may be partially unthreaded from the leaves and then bent or distorted so that the device is rendered useless.

It has been proposed to overcome this difflcul ty by distorting or bending the ends of the helical binding element. This however renders the connection a permanent one, so that thebindlng element can not be unthreaded or detachedfrom the cover sheets and new or additional leaves or sheets inserted therebetween. Also, such bending or distortion of the end of the helical binding wire must take place after the binding element has been threaded through the apertures of the leaves or sheets. If this operation is automatical ly performed, complicated and expensive machines are required.

My invention in its generic form provides a simple and effective means which, while enabling the helical binding element to be easily and quick- 1y threaded through the apertures of the leaves or sheets or disconnected therefrom. after the binding element has been applied, eifectlvely operates to prevent an accidental unthreading movement of said element through the apertures of the leaves or sheets. The invention therefore, enables refills to be easily and quickly assembled between the covers of the binder and retained wi absolute security.

In one embodiment of my invention, which may be found preferable, I propose to accomplish the above result by providing the usual series of equidistantly spaced apertures adjacent one of the edges of the superimposed leaves or'sheets. with the apertures at the opposite ends of said series in either the outer cover sheets, or in the superimposed sheets adjacent thereto, spaced from contiguous lateral edges of said sheets for a distance greater than the distance between ad- .tures of the sheets.

element will abutagainst an unperforated portion of one cover or one of said leaves or sheets, while the opposite end of said element will similarly abut against a portion of the other cover or another of said leaves or sheets. Thus turning 5 movement of said helical binding element in either direction which would result in unthreading or disconnecting the same from said leaves or sheets is prevented. In order to effect such disconnnection when refilling the'binder, it is only necessary to slightly displace one end of the helical wire from its normal position, so that it will move over the lateral edge of the cover sheet. The binding element may then be turned or rotated and unthreaded from the apertures. This slight displacement of the end of-the wire from its normal position does not distort the same, or in any way interfere with the easy re-threading of the binder wire through the registering aper- In order to insure thefree passage of the ends of the binder wire through the apertures without tearing or mutilating the sheets, I preferably subject the same to die-pressure to provide rounded or convex terminal surfaces. 25.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved refillable binder, and'in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts, as will hereinafter be more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing and incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawing wherein I have shown several simple and practical embodiments of the inven- 1 tion and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views: N

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a pile orstack of superimposed sheets of paper or other material with two portions of the stack separated and held in associated relation by the wire binder element.

Fig. 2 is an edge view. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale. 1

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a slightly modifled form of the device. I

Referring now more-particularly to Figures 1,

2 and 3 of the drawing, I have indicated one application of my invention to a multiplicity of superimposed sheets of paper or the like indicated at 5, which may, if desired, be arranged between front and back covers 6 of comparatively stiff material.

Each of the sheets 5, as well as the covers 6, is

series of equidistantly spaced apertures I. The covers and the superimposed sheets or leaves are held in assembled or connected relation by a hellcally coiled element 8 of resilient wire. This element is, therefore, in the form of a spiral spring,

and the convolutions thereof are equidistantly.

such as heavy albums or ledgers, the wire would be.

of heavier gage and the coils much larger. The pitch of the wire convolutions is also variable as may be found most desirable.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the aperture I at the .end of the series in one of thecovers I is spaced from the adjacent edge 9 of said cover, which extends atright angles to the line of apertures for a distance which is-slightly greater than the distance between adjacent convolutions of the helical binding element 8. The aperture at the relatively opposite end of the series in the other cover 6 is similarly spaced from the adjacent edge ID of the latter cover. By reason of this arrangement of the end apertures, it will be clear that when the element 0 is threaded in one direction through the registering apertures of the sheets 5 and covers 8, the advancing end or terminal of said element will finally abut against the face of one of the cover members, adjacent to the respective edges 9 or Iii thereof, in accordance with the direction in which the spiral binding element is threaded through the apertures, and will, therefore, prevent further turning movement of the coil in the same direction. When the coil reaches the limit of such threading movement, the

- other end convolution thereof will snap or spring over the edge of the other cover member, and will abut against the outer side face thereof, to prevent any reverse turning movement of the coil in the opposite direction from that in which it was threaded to its applied position. Thus it"will be apparent, that the coil cannot be accidentally unthreaded from the apertures 1, whereby the sheets 5 and cover members 6 may become disconnected.

The ends of the binding coil extending circumferentially in relatively opposite directions have their terminals positioned in alignment axially of the coil. Normally, these terminals will be disposed above and in spaced relation to the upper end of the book, so that they will not interfere with the free opening movement of the book covers and the interposed sheets or leaves to the fiat position as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Casual rotation of the coil in either direction will, how ever, be limited by abutting contact of said coil terminals with the opposite sides of the covers of the book; as above explained, to prevent the dis connection or unthreading of the binder coil.

' My invention, as above described, nevertheless, permits of the easy intentional unthreading of the binding element 8, when it is desired to remove one or more of the leaves or sheets 5, or to insert a refill between the covers 6. This is accomplished by simply springing one of the end convolutions outwardly from its normal position for a slight distance so that the terminal thereof may pass over the edge 9 or Hi of one of the cover members.

.abling the removal of aosmsa By then turning the coil in the proper direction, it is unthreaded from the apertures I. After placing the refill between the covers and aligning the apertures of the refill sheets with those of the covers, the spiral binding element 8 may then be easily threaded through said apertures to securely hold the several superimposed sheets or leaves in assembled relation in the manner above explained.

' In Fig. 4 of the drawing, I illustrate a variation of the above described construction, in which the covers .8 are provided with the usualarrangement of apertures I, while in the sheets or leaves 5 adjacent to the respective cover sheets. the aperture I at one end of the series therein, is out of registering relation with the end aperture of the cover sheet, so that the terminal of the binding coil will enter the aperture of thecover sheet and shut against the underlying sheets or leaves 5. This will conceal the ends of the binding coil and present a somewhat neater appearance. One end of the coil may be manually disengaged from the aperture in the cover sheet and sprung over the edge thereof, as above explained in order to permit the unthreadlng of the binding coil. Since the element 8 is of tempered spring steel wire, or equivalent material, this manual displacement of the end convolution will not result in distortion, but immediately upon the release of said coil. it will return to its normal, properly spaced relation to the adjacent coil.

From the above description, it will be seen that I have materially increased the utility and serviceability of binder devices of this kind. In memoranda or notebooks of the better type, the

covers may be of embossed leather or other more or less expensive materials, and since my invention permits of the use of refills. such covers may be used indefinitely, thereby greatly minimizing the expense incident to the use of such memoranda and books by students or others. However, even in the less expensive notebook, the use of such refills is desirable, since the spiral binding element and covers constitute important elements of the cost of such notebooks. By ene urpose of using refills between the original t z znre i 's, instead of discarding the entire notebook, including the binding element and purchasing a new one, an appreciable saving to the user may be realized.

From the foregoing description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive, and serviceable refillable binder of the binding element for this type. -'li'he binding element may be utilired practically indefinitely. Absolute security in the connection between the superimposed sheets .or leaves is assured, while at the same time, said binding element may be easily and quickly and without difllculty unthreaded from the apertured sheets for the purp se of removing one or more of the latter, or replacing the same with new sheets. The invention thus creates a market for refills to be used in binders of this type which has not heretofore existed.

while I have above referred to several simple and practical embodiments of my present invention, it is to be understood that the essential features thereof are also susceptible of embodiment in various other alternative forms. Accordingly, I reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts as may b :75

considered within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a refillable binder, a plurality of superimposed sheets of material having spaced, aligned apertures adjacent to one 01' their edges, a binding element comprising a length of helically coiled resilient wire threaded through said apertures, and having all of its convolutions disposed at the same angle relative to the coil axis, end

apertures in said sheets being spaced from anadjacent edge of the sheets for a greater distance than the distance between adjacent coil convolutions, to provide imperiorate parts of said sheets for abutting engagement by the end convolutions after the coil is threaded through said apertures, to thereby present turning movement of the coil in either direction and accidental unthreading of the same through said apertures, either of said end convolutions of the binder coil being resiliently 'displaceable from its normal po-- sition to pass over said adjacent edge of the sheets and permit of the intentional unthreading movement of the coil through said apertures.

2. In a refillable binder, a plurality of superimposed sheets of material and front and back covers therefor, said sheets and covers having spaced, aligned apertures adjacent one of their edges, and end apertures in the covers adjacent relatively opposite edges of said covers being out of registering relation with the apertures in one or more of the adjacent sheets of material disposed between said covers; and a binding element comprising a length of helically coiled resilient wire having all of its spaced convolutions disposed at the same angle with respect to the axis of the coil, said coil adapted to be removably threaded through said apertures and the termi nals of the end convolutions extending into the nonregistering apertures of the respective covers and abutting against said adjacent sheets, to prevent turning movement of the coil in either direction and accidental unthreading thereof through said apertures, and either of said end convolutions being manually displaceable from the aperture in the cover and positioned to pass over the contigu- Ous edge of the cover in the intentional unthreading movement of the binder coil through said apertures.

NATHAN OTTINGER. 

